Tributes pour in for Hayley Okines, inspirational progeria campaigner who died at 17

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A brave teen who raised awareness for progeria, a rare genetic disease that causes those suffering from the condition to age eight times faster than normal, died this week

Hayley Okines of East Sussex, England, died at home, the Progeria Research Foundation announced on Thursday. She was 17. Tributes for Okines, who captured the hearts of people worldwide due to her series of books and public advocacy for those with progeria, poured in after the news broke.

See also: 5-Year-Old With Cancer Urges Other Patients to Be Brave Like Her

Okines describes her body as that of a 126-year-old in a video posted to a Facebook page dedicated to her life. Text in the video encourages viewers to "celebrate a life well lived." Read more...

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